Page 175 of Ever With Me

He couldn’t take it any longer and reached for her, tugging her toward him. “I’m sorry, Maddie. I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you. I promise, I’ll never try to take everything on by myself again. Please let me make it up to you and make a home with you here, to start over again.”

She stiffened at his touch, her eyes pained, filled with hurt.

Shaking her head, she whispered, “No.”

His hand dropped, stunned.

No.

He’d worried that she might not forgive him.

But considered it as an actual possibility? That he’d leave here without her . . .

“Maddie, I love you.” Tears stung his eyes, and he squeezed them shut. “I?—”

She set her fingertips to his mouth. “You can’t build a home with me here. Not yet. You’re not ready, Brooks. We’d be setting ourselves up for failure again because you were right . . . I love Brandywood, but it’s not the right place for you, for us, right now.”

She drew her hand back and stroked his cheek. “Which is why I bought a one-way ticket to LA tomorrow morning. I guess neither of our sisters are good at keeping secrets because Kayla gave me all your information, too.”

He let out a strangled breath, his lips parting in shock.

. . . what?

Maddie came closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Brooks Kent. Of course I forgive you. You have to swear to me you’ll never be so stupid again, of course, but?—”

He cut her off with a kiss, his hands cupping her face, fingers splayed across her jaw.

She cried softly, then kissed him back, her mouth crushing to his deeply.

“I love you,” he whispered between kisses. “I love you, Madison. I’m so sorry. So sorry.”

Their tears mingled as she returned his kisses, clinging to him with her entire body.

“It’s you and me, Brooks, you understand? Together. I won’t survive you ever doing something like that to me again. I love you too much to live without you.”

“What about your grandfather?” he asked suddenly, scanning her face. “He offered you a job?—”

“I talked about it with him this morning, actually. He’s going to ask Jake, instead. While I love the Depot and his business, it’s not what I see for myself right now. To tell you the truth, I’m sort of fascinated by the idea of being an entertainment manager. Maybe for a musician or something . . .”

He cracked a smile at her. “So long as you don’t mind sleeping with your boss.”

From the tree line came the sound of a car radio turned all the way up.

“Ever With Me.”

Maddie pulled her face away and laughed, sniffling as she wiped her tears away. “That’s Naomi reminding us she’s still there.”

Brooks chuckled, wrapping her tightly in his arms. His chin rested on the top of her head. “She probably doesn’t want to be witness to anything else.”

“I’m pretty over witnesses, too. Maybe we could go somewhere else, though?”

Brooks nodded and pulled back. “We don’t have to stay here. Where do you want to go? Paris? Abu Dhabi?” The corners of his eyes crinkled.

“Someday you’re going to learn . . . I don’t need to go anywhere fancy, Brooks.” Maddie reached for his hand and interlaced their fingers. “Let’s go home.”

Home.

Home was wherever Maddie Yardley was.

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